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Bastide and chef Sydney Hunter III make it official

March 1, 2011 | 5:28
pm

Bastide, the Melrose Place restaurant owned by fickle commercial director Joe Pytka, announced that Sydney Hunter III, who took over the stoves after Joseph Mahon departed in December, is executive chef. This is, if I'm counting correctly, the restaurant's sixth chef.

Hunter helped open Bastide in 2002 as sous-chef under Giraud and remained until 2008, when he left to work at Fraiche in Santa Monica under then chef-partner Jason Travi. He also has worked with Lefebvre at his pop-up restaurant concept LudoBites.

"Sydney will execute an elegant menu in a casual atmosphere working with seasonal ingredients," says Bastide's announcement from manager and sommelier Dario Dell’Anno.